Receptacle filling device



Fm 29 E95@ A. J. LIPPOLD RECEPTACLE FILLING DEVICE' Filed May 4, 1942 3 Sheeis-Sheet l Magna amp/wz@ Feb,J Z E95@ A. J.. LIIPPOLD 2,499,M9

RECEPTACLE FILLING DEVlCE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 4, 1942 www@ EMG, 2%, i195@ A. J. UPPOLD RECEPTACLE FILLING DEVICE Filed May 4, 1942 3 Sheecs-Sheet 3 BY by 40e-wfg.

Patented Feb. 28,- 1950 2,499,149 RECEPTACLE FILLING DEVICE Adolph J. Lippold, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner to Cherry-Burrell Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation Application May 4, 1942, Serial No. 441,637 2 Claims. (Cl. 226-124) This invention relates to improvements in devices for filling receptacles, such as milk bottles, with fluid.

It is the primary object of this invention to sleeve is adapted to constitute the fluid flow pasz sage intermediate the reservoir and the valve seat element and also supply the pressure to seal the valve elements one against another; in which a condensate deflector element protects the receptacle engaging portion of the improved Valve from contamination by condensate; in which the air vent tube of the improved valve is provided with means to prevent the easy drainage of liquid therefrom; in which at least one of the condensate deflector elements associated with the improved valve is positioned outwardly of the resilient valve sleeve; in which the valve seat element and resilient valve sleeve are not directly connected one to another; in which the relatively movable valve plug and valve seat element are provided with guide means to maintain them in proper relative operative position; and in which the resilient valve sleeve is sealed to the supply reservoir in a unique manner.

The foregoing and other objects will be more apparent and more readily understood when read in connection with the drawings of the preferred embodiments of the present invention in which:

Figure l is a vertical central sectional view of the improved receptacle filling valve.

Fig. 2 is a plan view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the improved filling valve showing a modified vent tube support.

Figure 4 is a plan view taken along line 4--4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical central sectional view of a modiiication of the improved receptacle lling valve.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a further modification of the improved filling valve.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a modified embodiment of the improved valve.

d Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals identify like parts, I0 represents a reservoir for liquid, the bottom of which reservoir is provided with a series of openings for receiving valves for filling receptacles. Each of the openings is defined by a downwardly turned flange I.I, as shown with respect to one opening in Figure 1 of the drawings.

A vent tube supporting spider I2, as shown in Figure l, centrally supports a vent tube I3 in the opening defined by the dependent flange II. An apertured valve plug element I4 is xed to the lower extremity of the tube I3 with the aperture of the plug I4 communicating with the open passage of the vent tube I3. The lower extremity of the aperture of the plug I4 is defined by a restricted orifice I5, by virtue of which orice the easy flow of liquid and gas through the vent tube I3 is partially controlled.

The spider I2, as shown in Figure 1, which has the nature of a spring clip and which is made of flexible, resilient material, is provided with four symmetrically positioned feet I6 to rest upon the interior of the bottom of the reservoir I0. The lower portion of the arms of the spider I2 is so formed as to extend into and engage the flange I I, thus centering the supporting spider I2 with respect to the opening in the bottom of the reservoir I0. The engagement between the vent tube I3 and the spider I2 is secured by the abutting relation between the annular flange I'I on the vent tube I3 and the top of the arms of the spider I2 when assembled in operative position, as shown in Figures l and 2.

In the views of the modified embodiment of the applicants invention, as shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, l and 8, the spider for supporting the vent tube I3 consists of a central hub I8 provided with four radially extending arms I9. The arms I9 are each provided with a depending portion adapted to centeringly fit into the conical opening in the lower portion of the tank I0 formed by the independent inwardly directed flange II. Each of the arms I9 is also provided with an outwardly extending foot portion 52 which rests upon the inner face of the bottom of the tank I0.

The hub I8 is swiveled on a collar 20 carried by the vent tube I3. The vent tube I3 is prevented from traveling downwardly through the hub I8 of the vent tube supporting spider by the removable clip 2| mounted in an annular groove 22 in the collar 20 and abutting the upper end of the hub I8. In the modification of the inven-` tion shown in Figure 3, the upward vertical motion of the vent tube I3 through the hub IB is prevented by the flange 23 at the lower extremity of the collar 20 on the vent tube I3 and below the position occupied by the hub I8 of the supporting spider when the vent tube and supporting spider are arranged in operative position within the supply reservoir I0.

The valve element I4 carried by the vent tube I3 below the opening defined by the flange II in the bottom of the tank I is provided with upper and lower frusto-conical faces 24 and 25, respectively. The upper frusto-conical face 24 constitutes a valve face and engages a, complementary valve seat consisting of the lower terminus of the cylindrical valve element or sleeve 26. The element or sleeve 26 is provided at its upper extremity with an upwardly and downwardly extending condensate deflector flange 21 having an upwardly turned outer edge 28 and a drain spout 29, all as clearly shown in Figure 1.

Adjacent the juncture between the sleeve 26 and the flange 21, the flange 21 is provided with a downwardly directed, embossed, annular depression 30, the upper and hollow face of which serves as a seat for the inwardly directed edge 3I deflning the opening in the lower wall 32 of the resilient freely flexible bulb-like valve sleeve 33. The bulb 33 is compressed between the bottom of the tank Ill and the flange 21 of the valve sleeve 26 to form a fluid passage connecting the opening in the bottom of the tank I0 and the opening in the sleeve 26.

The inwardly directed edge 34 defines the opening in the upper wall 35 of the bulb 33 and engages the bottom of the tank I0 and the downwardly turned flange II. which latter element is securely encompassed by the edge 34, the edge 34 being slightly distended thereby.

The bulb 33 is preferably made of resilient freely flexible rubber of a grade similar to that used in the bottle mouth Sealing rings or gaskets commonly used on bottle lling valves of the type constituting the subject matter of this invention.

An upwardly and outwardly directed rib 36 is provided on the outer face of the upper wall 35 of the bulb 33. The rib 36 sealingly engages the flat surface of the bottom of the reservoir I D. The sealing engagement between the rib 36 and the bottom of the reservoir I0 prevents accumulated moisture from readily passing from the bottom of the tank I0 into the interior of the bulb 33. A similar but downwardly directed rib 31 is provided on the outer face of the lower wall 32 of the bulb 33 to direct the accumulated condensate from the bulb 33 onto the condensate deflecting flange 21 carried by the sleeve 26 before such condensate reaches the point of juncture between the flange 21 and the inner edge 3I of the lower Wall 32 of the bulb 33, all Figure 1.

The bulb 33 is so constructed that, when compressed into operative position as shown in Figure 1, it will bias or press the valve seat at the lower extremity of the valve sleeve 26 against the valve face 24 of the plug I4 supported by the vent tube I3. The bulb 33 also constitutes the fluid passage between the opening in the bottom of the tank I0, as defined by the flange II, and the passage through the sleeve 26.

A resilient bottle gasket or seal is provided to seal the mouth of a bottle to be fllled by the improved valve mechanism. In the improved valve shown in Figure 1 a resilient ring-like gasket element 38, preferably made of rubber and snugly the lower portion of t against portions of the lower face of the flange 21. The lower wall of the element 38 is adapted flange I I,

to sealingly engage the mouth of a bottle or other receptacle during filling operations.

An outwardly and downwardly directed condensate deflector flange 39 formed integrally with provided at the juncture of the lower wall and the side wall of the element 38. The object of the flange 39 is to further protect the open mouth of the bottle or receptacle as it moves toward and away from lling position below the filling valve.

Although the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure l has been particularly referred to in the preceding description, the modified arrangement for supporting the vent tube I3 in operative position, as shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8, may readily be interchanged with the arrangement for supporting the vent tube I3, as shown in Figure 1, by the addition or deletion of the necessary collars, flanges and clips, all as previously described and as clearly illustrated in the various drawings.

In Figure 5, the opening in the bottom of the tank I0 is deflned by a downwardly and outwardly directed flange 40 over which the inner edge 4I defining the opening in the upper wall 43 of the modied valve sleeve bulb 42 is distended to obtain a secure engagement therewith. The upper abuttingly engages the bottom of the tank I0.

The valve sleeve 44, adjacent its upper extremity, is provided with an annular groove 45 in its outer periphery to receive the inner distended edge 46 defining the lower opening in the bulb 42. A condensate deflector 41 is carried by the sleeve 44 but, unlike the embodiment of the invention shown in .Figure 1, the deflector flange 41 is not formed integrally with the sleeve 44. Like unto the modified embodiment of the invention shown in bulb 42 also forms the fluid passage between the opening in the bottom of the tank I0 and the hollow valve sleeve 44 and also biases or urges the valve sleeve 44 into seating engagement with the valve plug I4.

In Figure 6 is shown an arrangement of a valve bulb 48, the upper inner edge of which abuts against the bottom of the tank I0 about the flange II. The bulb 48 is provided about its outer midsection with a condensate gutter or delecting flange 49 and, when the bulb 48 is compressed in a manner as would occur when the valve sleeve 50 is moved toward the tank I0, the outer and norshown by the dotted line 49 of Figure 6.

'I'he bottle mouth gasket 38 of Figure 6 is also provided at its lower edge with an upwardly turned condensate deflector flange or gutter 5I similar in cross section to the flange 49. Both of the flanges 49 and 5I function to protect the mouth of a bottle or receptacle from dripping condensate as the bottle or receptacle is moved into and away from filling position under the improved lling valve.

Figures 7 and 8 disclose several views of a in the bottom of the tank m,

and extending upwardly in overlapping relation to the hub ing spider between the tending arms I9.

Each of the four guide arms or studs 53 is of such dimension as to permit the free vertical reciprocation of the sleeve 54 but to limit any reciprocatory motion of the sleeve 54 when such motion is at an angle to the vertical axis of the vent tube I3. The guide arms 53, in order to accomplish such limitation in the motion of the sleeve 54, are slightly less in cross sectional dimension than the horizontal distance between the inner edge or" the flange II and the outer edge of the hub I8. The guide arms 53 are also of such a length as to permit substantial contact between the guide arms 53 and the hub I8 when the sleeve 54 tends to move in a general vertical direction along a line other than parallel to the axis of the vent tube I3. As in the previously described modications of the present invention, a resilient bulb 55 is interposed between the bottom of the tank I and the top of the sleeve 54 to urge or bias the lower end of the sleeve 54 which constitutes a valve seat against the valve plug I4 and to also establish a passage for controlled fluid flow between the opening in the tank defined by the flange II and the opening in the sleeve 54.

The invention, as just described, provides an improved receptacle lling valve or device having relatively few and inexpensive sanitary parts easy to assemble and disassemble, andin which a resilient bulb-like element is interposedbetween a unitary valve sleeve and an opening in a sup ply reservoir for the dual purpose of maintaining the valve and valve seat in normally sealed relationship one to another and to provide a passage ior the conducting of iiuid from the interior of the supply reservoir to the receptacle to be iilled.

A further advantage of the improved valve, as just described, is the provision of an arrangement of valve elements so that the resilient valve bulb, which constitutes partof the fluidflow passage of the valve, is sealingly secured in operative position to the supply reservoir in a very simple and sanitary manner which facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the device.

Although several preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, various modiiications thereof may present themselves to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the preceding description and the drawings referred to therein. The invention is, therefore, not to be I8 of the vent tube supportbases of the radially exrestricted except in so far as is necessitated by the prior art and the spirit of the appended claims. The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

'1. In a device for lling containers from an apertured reservoir, a valve plug, means for supporting said plug below an aperture in said reservoir, said means includingl a supportwspider having a central element locatedcentrally with respect to said aperture in said reservoir, a valve seat element intermediate said plug and said reservoir and adapted to be moved into and out of seating engagement with said plug, lresilient means intermediate said reservoir and said valve seat element for biasing said valve seat element toward said valve plug, and guide means carried by said valve seat element extending closely adjacent said central element of said support spider for guiding said valve seat element when moving into and out of engagement with said valve plug and limiting the lateral motion of said valve seat element with respect to said valve plug.

2. In a device for lling containers from an apertured reservoir, a valve plug, means for supporting said plug below an aperture in said reservoir, said means including a support spider having a central element located centrally with respect to said aperture in said reservoir, a valve seat element intermediate said plug and said reservoir and adapted to be moved into and out of seating engagement with said valve plug, resilient means intermediate said reservoir and said valve seat element for ibiasing said valve seat element toward said valve plug, and guide means carried by said valve seat element extending through said resilient means, through said aperture in said reservoir in close proximity to the edge of said aperture and passing closely adjacent said central element of said support spider for guiding said valve seat element when moving into and out of engagement with said valve plug and limiting the lateral motion of said valve seat element with respect to said valve plug.

ADOLPH J. LIPPOLD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent: 

